Candle



Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES OFICE No Drawing. Application May. 5, 1932,

Serial No. 609,554

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a novel composition for making candles, votive, sanctuary, tabernacle or other sacramental lights in solid or semi-solid form. Such lights are usually burned in a glass or other container. Olive oil was formerly employed almost exclusively for this purpose and then beeswax came into extensive use. Some of the other vegetable oils are likewise used. The vegetable oils contain phytosteral alcohol, whereas the animal oils do not. Some wax, using salt as a preservative, has been used in combination with olive oil as a candle material, but a wax, like beeswax, which does not require a preservative, has not previously been used in combination. The salt preservative has prohibitive disadvantages when used in a candle such as hereindescribed, because of its sputtering and heat generation when burning.

I have found that a candle material consisting of pure beeswax and a vegetable oil, whether in liquid or in solid, hydrogenated form, makes a very superior candle for sacramental candles and lights. The vegetable oils absorb far more iodine than the vegetable fats, the fats being quite unsatisfactory for burning, and the drying vegetable oils absorb more iodine than the semi-drying or non-drying vegetable oils and the absorption of oxygen is in direct proportion to the absorption of iodine. Oils from the olive oil group of the non-drying vegetable oils, are most satisfactory, though other non-drying and semi-drying oils are satisfactory, such as the rape seed group, the cottonseed group and some drying oils are satisfactory such as the soya bean oil. Other oils of these groups may likewise be used, the degree of the advantages of using the oil with beeswax only varying somewhat with the different vegetable oils.

I find that candles and lights made of a vegetable oil, as described, and pure beeswax, have many advantages over any other candle or light: They burn longer, give a more steady light, give less heat to break the container, do not stick to the mold when manufacturing and may be more easily removed from the container after being partially used, do not stick together, and so facilitate packing, and especially are my candles and lights superior to the ordinary beeswax candle for these reasons. The mixture of oil with the pure beeswax also takes away the natural brittleness of the pure beeswax and consequently the candles will not so readily break. They likewise have other advantages of manufacture and burning quality.

Where liquid oil is used, the beeswax should be at least 20% by weight of the mixture to make a sufficiently solid candle for handling purposes. Of course, a larger proportion of beeswax may be used where a harder candle is required, or the oil may be hydrogenated. Where hydrogenated oil is 69 used the degree of saturation of the oil with hydrogen, and the climate will determine the minimum of pure beeswax essential to make a solid candle, but where practically saturated hydrogenated oil is used a solid candle can be made even without beeswax, and in that event the presence of the beeswax becomes more essential to eliminate the undue brittleness of the hydrogenated oil. Only the degree of the advantages to be gained by using the pure beeswax with the oil will vary with the difierent proportions of the ingredients. The two materials are melted together to produce the candle material and they readily mix in the required proportions. The mixture may be allowed to cool and be remelted for casting, or it may be poured at once into the molds for casting into candle form, with the usual wick inserted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A form sustaining candle having a wick therein and consisting of at least 20% pure beeswax and a vegetable oil.

2. A form sustaining candle having a wick therein and consisting of at least 20% pure beeswax and an oil of the groups, cotton seed, rape seed, olive.

3. A form sustaining candle having a wick therein and consisting of at least 20% pure beeswax and an oil of the olive oil group.

NORBERT J. BAUMER. 

